There are a limited number of ways to mutilate and reconstruct old Speak ’n’ Spells, but Zach Fisher might know them all.

Fisher — better known by his alias, Baconhanger, in the Indy noisecore scene — has been putting the popular 1980s toys to good use. He’s a circuit bender, part of an underground movement in music that’s been growing since at least the 1960s, in which electronic devices are disemboweled and rewired to produce new sounds.

“Old technology is the most bendable,” Fisher says. “Old toys have bigger circuit boards. When bending, you short circuit the various components on the board, and sometimes get interesting results.”

These short circuits produce sounds anywhere from a low, scratchy growl to a high-pitched whine. (Imagine the static on your radio, but beamed in from another, angrier planet.)

i tried to sell the author on databending as well, but no dice. i doubt he had the space to cover it. still, it's good press for baconhanger, AWIA, and bad taste.¶